‘It was just an attempt to get a move to Real Madrid’

But Blackburn Rovers defender Shane Duffy has taken that to new extremes, having played the wrong kind of starring role as his team lost at Wigan Athletic and then Cardiff City in the Championship.

The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international turned into his own net against the Latics on Saturday, then scored two more own goals at Cardiff on Wednesday – before being was sent off in injury time for a second yellow card after kicking the ball away when a free-kick had been awarded.

And this all happened in a week when centre-back Duffy turned down a new deal at Ewood Park – with his contract up at the end of the season, his future is now in some doubt.

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Cardiff City fans found the funny side of Shane Duffy’s performance

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Blackburn Rovers’ full-time tweet was shared widely on Twitter

“We’re trying to get an equaliser, he has given a free-kick against him and the ball is sat there, and I don’t think it was malicious, but obviously he shouldn’t have done it,” Rovers boss Owen Coyle told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“I’ve told him that in the dressing room in front of the group and he knows that himself.”

‘He wanted to follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Woodgate’

Duffy’s performance in Wales reminded some fans of former Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Leeds defender Jonathan Woodgate’s debut at Real Madrid.

Woodgate missed the whole of his first season in Spain through injury and then scored an own goal and was sent off after 65 minutes in his first outing in 2005.

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A number of Twitter accounts also picked up on Duffy’s recent misfortune on the pitch…

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‘We are looking for players’

There is also speculation over the future of winger Ben Marshall, who has also turned down a new deal at Blackburn.

“They have their heads turned and you’ve got to manage that in the modern game,” added Coyle. “When you step on that field you’ve got to be at your best and be at your maximum and, unfortunately, that’s not happened tonight.”

Former Wigan, Bolton and Burnley boss Coyle took over at Rovers in the summer and has added seven players to the squad, but is looking to make further changes.

“If people don’t feel that they’re going to be a part of what we are moving forward then you have to chop and change,” he continued.

“We’re already looking for players to add to the squad and we’re trying every day to do that.

“It’s frustrating, I get it, and everybody will have that frustration. But we know that, over the course of the season, we will get up and running and we will get players that want to wear that shirt with pride.”